1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communications setting method for a power line communications networksystem, a communications setting system in a power line communications network system, a management change method for a power line communications networksystem, a management change system in a power line communications network system, an address assignment management method for a power line communications networksystem, an address assignment management system in a power line communications networksystem, etc. for communications among communications appliances in a power line communications system using the power line as communications media.
2. Related Art of the Invention
In a power line communications system using the power line as communications media, a house code which is a unique identification code is assigned to a communications appliance of a house or system unit to avoid jamming by the leakage of a signal to, or an external invading signal from the device used in a neighbor's house so that the communications appliances in the power line communications system can transmit an assigned house code by including it in the transmission data, and receive only the data including the assigned house code while discarding the data including the house codes other than the assigned house code.
However, when the power line communications system is set, it is necessary for a installer of the system to set a house code for each appliance using a rotary switch or a dip switch, or to set it using an exclusive setting jig when the system is installed. The method of using a dip switch has the problem that a small appliance cannot be realized or a mis-setting can be made. Additionally, the method of using an exclusive setting jig requires the jig for the installation.
With these problems taken into account, there has been a method suggested for setting a house code with the load of the installer reduced by transmitting and receiving a house code setting command between a house code setting device and a new connection setting appliance.
The conventional system of transmitting and receiving a house code setting command between a house code setting device and a new connection setting appliance can be either a system in which a conventional house code setting device and a new connection setting appliance establish one-to-one communications with each other, or a system in which it is necessary to set in advance a setting address to avoid overlaps in the new connection setting appliance for transmission and reception of a house code setting command. Especially, the latter system requires a very complicated operation of setting an address without overlaps when the installer sets an address, thereby possibly causing a mis-setting problem. Furthermore, when a unique address is assigned in advance, there also can be the problem that a high cost is required to appropriately manage the addresses and individually set the addresses for the respective appliances.
On the other hand, in the former system, it is necessary to provide a blocking filter between a house code setting device and a new connection setting appliance to have a system configuration in which the data from other households or other systems can be rejected. In this case, the system cannot be realized without the blocking filter.
Furthermore, in these systems, there has been no means of appropriately managing addresses when the appliances for communications, the appliances for management of communications, etc. are to be replaced after various settings have once been made.